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• MASTERPIECES: When Art Comes to Life: PICASSO

  29 May, 2012

  Years 9, 10 & 11 Drama performance entitled MASTERPIECES: When Art Comes to Life: PICASSO was held in the Drama Room on the night of the Opening of the All Saints' Festival of Art on Friday, 25th May 2012.

   

  

   

  Performance Art and Design explores the contemporary practices of some significant Non-Realist playwrights and theatre practitioners who contributed to Non-Realistic Performance Styles associated with the Expressionist movement.

  Changes in Theatre at the turn of the century closely mirrored changes in Visual Arts; this topic explores contemporary Art movements and significant Artists coinciding with the development of Non-Realist contemporary performance styles.

  Coinciding with this year's international touring exhibitions of PICASSO's work to the AGNSW, the students are using a small body of his work as inspiration for their performances.

  In particular, students engage with the Elements of Drama, to show how they work together to communicate dramatic meaning, such as a heightened interpretation of the world through the use of stylised acting.

  In the production of their performance pieces, students consider how the use of technology and various elements of production might be used to create Non-Realist effects.

  The Performance Art Works were shown in a Gallery-style performance space as part of the All Saints’ College’s FESTIVAL OF ART

  

  The first performance art piece was entitled ‘Sleep Mommy’ - performed by Amelia Bradley, Alex Joliffe, Lyndsay Menzies and Greta Wass. They chose the painting: Family of Saltimbanques, painted by Picasso in 1905. To make this piece, the group drew on the style of Carnivale and are using excerpts from a poem ‘Sleep Mommy’ by Kimberli A. Hardiman.

  

  The next vignette was entitled ‘Puppets on a Pedestal’, developed and performed by Madeleine King, Tegan Taylor, and Rebecca Whitchurch. It was based on the colourful Picasso painting entitled Large Still life with Pedestal Table, 1931. This group looked to the fashion industry for inspiration and employed the use of Gotye’s song ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’.

  

  This ‘horrific’performance entitled ‘The Joker’ was performed by Sarah Barton, Harry Bland and Emily Hughes. They chose to work with the painting The Head Cutter, which Picasso painted in 1901 after his friend committed suicide. The group worked within the horror genre, were inspired by serial killer stories and utilised two poems ‘An Obsession’ and ‘The Joker’.

  

  Alan Mayhew and Marlee Langfied chosen Picasso’s, Pierrot, 1918. They responded to this painting by imagining this sad pantomime clown as God, as the artist, when he had just finished creating the world. They called their piece ‘In the Beginning’ and drew on the Genesis story and used the songs ‘Broken Wings’ and ‘Earthquake’ by Labrinth.

  

  The next performance piece was entitled ‘Cold’, based on Picasso’s The Freugal Repas, 1904. Emily Brabham and Couba Morgan created a poetically solemn performance art piece. The two were inspired by Kate Miller Heidke’s song ‘The Last Day of Earth’ an utilising an original poem written by Emily.

  

  The next performance starred Emma Michael, Gabby Mitton, and Lucy Vance. They chose to work with Picasso’s Three Musicians, painted in 1921. Their devising process began using Gabby’s ukulele as inspiration. They went for an underground jazz bar theme and utilising Gotye’s ‘Hearts A Mess’.

  

  This sensual physical performance by Jess Mackenzie and Candice Nolan was based on the famous painting, Les Demoiseles D’Avignon, 1907. They named their performance ‘Seamy Side Of Life’ and looked to recorded  and digital sound, utilising Lana Del Rey’s ‘Off To The Races’.

  

  The final performance was inspired by the story of Romeo and Juliet. Max Hope and Courtney Old chose two of Picasso’s artworks from different periods: ‘The Peasant’ (1906) and ‘Goat’s Skull, Bottle and Candle' (1952). Their theme was of dying love and they utilised Lana Del Rey’s song ‘Blue Jeans’.

  Zoë McGirr

  Click here for PHOTO GALLERY